


Battle Scars

by ALeigh30



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: (eventually) - Freeform, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blaster/Gun-like weapons, Confession, Established Relationship, Flashbacks, Holograms/AI, Hospital/Medical setting, M/M, Memory Loss/Amnesia, Minor to Major Injury, Regrets, Sci-Fi AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:07:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27137752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ALeigh30/pseuds/ALeigh30
Summary: A close call on an enemy ship leaves Felix on edge and wondering about a certain phrase left unsaid.[Written for Ashelix Week 2020.]Chapter One Prompt(s): Battle/Sci-Fi AU.Chapter Two Prompt: Confession**Liberally tagged just in case, so there's some clarification in the beginning notes.
Relationships: Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Felix Hugo Fraldarius
Comments: 8
Kudos: 11
Collections: Ashelix Week 2020





	1. Exit Wound

**Author's Note:**

> Hi friends! Thanks for clicking! This is the piece I am most excited about for Ashelix Week, so I hope you all love it. As I was writing, the story kind of got away from me and characters started making their own decisions, so I followed as best as I could. xD This is also a blend of like... four different sci-fi universes, so I hope it works and makes sense.
> 
> The biggest and best shoutout to OAKtoONT who's not even in the FE3H fandom, but looked this thing over and gave me some great feedback!
> 
> Clarification on Rating/Tags (Mostly spoiler free, but please reach out if you need more info on something!)  
> *Rated T+ - I do not believe the contents of this fic are graphic, but it's definitely not all sunshine and rainbows. I have no problem updating the rating if others believe it's warranted.  
> *Minor to Major Injury - A character is injured minimally at first, then a second time, fatally. **There is no death in this fic** but this tag goes hand-in-hand with the "death mention" and "coma" tags.  
> *Blaster/Gun-like Weapons - Think Han Solo/Star Wars-type blasters. They are used in a battle/conflict scenario.  
> *Death mention - Again, none of our main characters die, but it is discussed.  
> *Coma - See above. The Major Injury involves a main character in a coma.
> 
> If you feel like I haven't tagged something that should be tagged, do not hesitate to let me know in comments or privately on Twit. It costs me nothing to make sure you have the safest reading experience - the "edit" button exists for a reason.
> 
> Okay, I'm done rambling! Thank you for your attention! Please enjoy!

Felix wakes in a cold sweat, heart racing, head pounding, mind spinning with memories.

_“This isn’t right.” Ashe says, leafing through pages. “This document says that S.E.I.R.O.S. caused the Western Federation Uprising. That the archbishop is using these civilian rebellions as a cover and incentive to bring down the Empire.”_

_Felix scoffs. “That can’t be true. Rowe admitted they got support from the Empire - weapons, soldiers… That’s gotta be propaganda.”_

_“In documents stamped and noted with Edelgard’s seal?” Ashe wasn’t ready to let this slide. “Why would they need propaganda among their own officials?”_

_Felix didn’t have an answer to that. He typed a few more keys, hiding the kill code among the mainframe software. “It’s done. Let’s get out of here.”_

_Ashe gathers up more papers and documents, haphazardly shoving them into his messenger bag._

_“What are you doing?” Felix hisses. “They’ll know we were here.”_

_“I can’t just leave this.” Ashe says, hope bleeding into his words. “If it’s true, then Christophe was innocent! And that S.E.I.R.O.S. framed Lonato! Something else is going on here, Felix.”_

_Before Felix could respond, a shot rang out from the other side of the room, and Ashe was pushed back against the wall with a grunt of pain, clutching his shoulder._

_Felix whipped around and fired his blaster at the guard that had appeared in the doorway. His aim was true, striking the guard in the chest and he fell unresponsive to the floor. Turning back to Ashe, Felix helped him up and inspected the wound._

_“I’m fine.” Ashe assured him through gritted teeth. “Just grazed me.”_

_“How troublesome.” came an unimpressed voice from behind them._

_They turned, coming face to face with Linhardt von Hevring._

_“I guess it’s true what they say,” Linhardt said through a bored yawn. “If you want something done right, you’ll have to do it yourself.”_

_Felix raised his blaster, firing three more shots at Linhardt. The bolts passed right through his body, striking the server wall behind him with a shower of sparks._

_“Calm down there, dog.” he mocked. “Did you really think I would waste my time and try to corner you on my own?”_

_A hologram._

_“Damn it.” Felix muttered under his breath, slowly holstering his weapon._

_“Guess we don’t have to worry about them knowing that we were here.” Ashe said, clutching his shoulder and shifting his bag protectively behind him. “Thanks for the hospitality Lin!” he called to the other man. “We’ll just be on our way now.”_

_Linhardt rolled his eyes. “That’s what you think. You’ve been cut off from your comrades and guards are on their way to you now. There’s nowhere to go.”_

_“Can you run?” Felix asked Ashe, voice low, eyes never leaving Linhardt._

_“What?” Ashe glanced at his partner. “Yeah, I think so.”_

_Felix took a slight step away from Ashe and removed a small dagger from under the back of his shirt. “On my cue, we book it the hell out of here. Just follow my lead.”_

_Noticing the holocore control box behind Felix, Ashe understood his plan and nodded. “Always.”_

_Felix tore his gaze away from Linhardt to look into Ashe’s eyes. Even in the dim light of the Sariel’s tech core, Ashe’s eyes were a luminescent green that reflected his unshakable loyalty, deepest trust, and (because it’s Ashe) undenying love for Felix._

_Ashe would follow him to the ends of the world if he asked, and Felix would protect him every step of the journey._

_“Are you two done?” Linhardt drawled, crossing his arms. “Whatever you’re plotting is a waste of time. I told you, there’s--”_

_“Go! Now!” Felix shouted as he swung his right arm behind him, striking the control box with the dagger. The box sparked and hummed with the impact, and Linhardt stuttered and disappeared opening their escape route._

When he sleeps, the memories hold him in a vice that he can’t shake free from. When he’s able to sleep at all.

_They ran as fast as they could, footsteps echoing along the metal bulkhead, emergency sirens blaring._

_“Felix!” Ashe shouted. “Do you even know where we’re going?”_

_“If we can make it to the hangar bay, I can get us out of here.”_

_“Right.”_

_“Just a little further. I can get us out of here.”_

It’s been three days since their narrow escape from the Sariel.

_The shot came from one of the control panels at the back of the hangar._

_Ashe was right behind Felix, not even three feet away._

_Felix turned a moment too late, returning fire anyway._

_Ashe fell to the floor, motionless and bloody, his mouth open in a silent plea to his partner._

_‘Go!’_

_Felix screamed._

»»————- ————-««

Shaking the memories from his mind, Felix willed his heart to slow down, begged his mind to stop replaying those moments.

The moments of his failure.

In the back of his mind, he registered the _woosh_ of the door opening and someone entering, footsteps unnaturally silent.

“Are you well, Felix Fraldarius?”

Felix closed his eyes and groaned softly, a defeated sound that didn’t even begin to describe the pain in his heart at that voice. A voice that had lost its melody, its emotion, now a hollow shell of the man it used to belong to.

“Are you well, Felix Fraldarius?” it asked again after a moment.

“I’m fine, A.S.H.E.” He rubbed the sleep, the nightmares, the memories, from his eyes and sat up throwing his legs over the side of the bunk. It’s been three days since the escape, three days since they last made contact with Dimitri and the rest of the fleet. “What’s our status?”

The hologram moved silently into his peripheral vision. “It is 03 hundred hours 50 minutes on day 21 of the Wy-vern Moon of the Federation calendar. We are passing through the Moralta Nebula at a rate of 4 light years per minute. We should reach the target destination in approximately four hours.”

“Hm.” Felix stood from the bunk and began moving around the small cabin with some half-assed semblance of a morning routine. Hopefully Dimitri and the rest of the fleet will be waiting for them at the rendezvous point near Fhirdiad Station and they can regroup and consider their next step.

And save his partner.

“Your presence is requested at the bridge.” A.S.H.E. stated.

Felix scoffed. “What for?”

“I do not know. Captain Riegan asked me to deliver-- you-- message--”

A.S.H.E. scratched and stuttered like an old-time record player. Felix reached out to steady him out of habit, but winced away as his hands passed straight through the hologram’s shoulder with a ripple of violet light. A tense moment later, A.S.H.E. blinked away, then came back, as though someone had reset him, turning his power off then on again.

The glitching was becoming more frequent. How long until he flickered out only to not come back?

Felix refused to think like that.

“Your presence is requested at the bridge.” A.S.H.E. said again as though there had been no interruption in their conversation.

Felix took a shaky breath. “Right. Tell him I’m on my way.” The hologram nodded, and exited the bunk room.

They were running out of time.

»»————- ————-««

Felix emerged from his quarters, tying his hair back into a tight bun and headed the short distance to the bridge. He somehow avoided familiar faces as he walked, and the crewmates he did see stayed to the opposite side of the corridor.

When he entered the bridge, some discussion was already in full swing. He stood at the back of the room, leaning against a column until he was acknowledged or had something to add to the conversation.

He saw Sylvain to the left of the room, sitting at their shared flight panel. The redhead met his eyes and nodded in greeting, but Felix didn’t return the gesture.

_“Are you sure about this?”_

_“What’s there to be sure of? If I don’t do it, he dies! Now help me or get out of my way!”_

_“I’m not your enemy here, Fe!”_

Mercedes stood next to Sylvain, looking at Felix with a sad smile.

_“I’ve done everything I can, Felix. He’s in the Goddess’ hands now.”_

Felix could only meet her eyes for a moment before he focused his attention to the front of the ship, watching the planets, stars, and space junk fly by.

“Hey Felix.”

Felix was snapped out of his thoughts by Captain Riegan. The meeting on the bridge had concluded, everyone returning to their duties. “Captain,” he greeted coolly. “You wanted to see me.”

The captain nodded. “Yeah, I did. Give me a sec.” He stepped away giving orders to crew members and leaving First Officer Gloucester in charge of the bridge for the time being. After affirmatives from all involved, he walked past Felix toward the corridor. “Walk with me.”

Felix sighed and followed him down the corridors. They walked in silence for some time, finally arriving at the Captain’s quarters. Inside, he offered Felix a seat and began brewing some tea, Almyran Pine, Felix thought by the smell. A tea favored by both men, meaning this meeting was more than a casual social call.

Felix couldn’t take the silence any longer. “Why am I here?” he asked, frustration evident in his voice.

“Can’t I invite a friend for a casual conversation?”

“You can, but I’m sure I’m not your first choice.”

The captain chuckled, setting two cups on the small coffee table before taking the seat across from Felix. “You’re probably right.”

“What do you want, Claude?”

Claude considered Felix, a look of knowing on his face that only served to infuriate Felix. “How are you, Felix? Truly?”

Felix huffed and crossed his arms defensively across his chest. “What the hell kind of question is that? How do you think I am?”

“Well enough to have your usual, blunt way with words. That’s a good sign.”

“Go to hell.”

The captain hummed and took a sip of his tea. “Maybe for the next mission. Right now I’m focused on getting my crew to Fhirdiad.”

Felix had no response to that. He was certain now this was the reason Claude brought him to tea. Fhirdiad and what awaited them there, what Felix believed would be his redemption, his atonement.

Silence stretched between them again. Just as he was about to excuse himself and leave, the captain spoke again.

“I think you know what I’m going to say.” Claude said, his voice tinted with sadness and concern.

Felix huffed again, more irritated. “I have a guess. But I bet you’re going to tell me anyway.” Damn, he did _not_ want to have this conversation right now.

Claude nodded. “I am.” He took another sip of his tea, letting the moment settle before he spoke again. “A.S.H.E. is glitching out more frequently, I’m sure you’ve noticed. Ignatz can’t find a technical problem in the programming - it’s perfect and considering the pressure you were under when you wrote the code, you deserve to be commended.”

Felix rolled his eyes. _Commended... What a joke._ he thought. 

Claude continued. “Right. If it’s perfect, then why is he glitching? I had Ignatz duplicate your code and run it through simulations. In most instances, there was no issue. Unfortunately, in a small percentage of scenarios…” he paused gauging Felix’s reaction, then sighed. “He thinks the holocore is rejecting the transfer.”

Felix flinched. He knows this; he knew it on day one when A.S.H.E. had none of his human memories. He knew it earlier today when the hologram flickered off then came back moments later. He knew it the countless other times in the past few days where A.S.H.E. would freeze, flicker, or stutter. He knows this, but to hear it out loud, to hear it acknowledged with such sorrow and defeat from his superior...

But they were so close. Felix couldn’t give up now.

“It was only meant to be a temporary solution.” Felix stated coldly. “They can save him in Fhirdiad.”

“And what if they can’t?”

Felix slammed his fist on the coffee table, rattling the tea set and sending his still full cup tumbling to the carpet. “Then I’ll find another way! I can’t lose him too! I won’t!”

“But you might, Felix. You know that better than almost anyone on this ship.”

And just like that, a wave of uncertainty came over Felix, dousing the fire of his words with ice water. Claude was right, though he didn’t want to admit it. This was war and everyone had lost someone or something precious to them.

There was a chance they wouldn’t be able to save him.

“I’m not saying to give up, because I know you won’t and I don’t think you should.” Claude continued softly as he reached down to pick up the now empty teacup. “I’m not giving up. I want to believe that he’ll make it to Fhirdiad and make a full recovery. But I also know that, despite our best efforts, loss is inevitable. I don’t want you to have any regrets.”

“Tch. Little late for that. Excuse me, Captain.” Felix stood and walked out the door without so much as a backward glance.

»»————- ————-««

Felix wandered the corridors with no destination in mind, reflecting on his discussion with the captain.

_“I don’t want you to have any regrets.”_

Generally speaking, Felix isn’t a regretful person. He speaks his mind even though he’s not always the most tactful with his words. He’s driven and works toward being the best through constant, diligent training and discipline. That’s not to say he has no regrets at all. He just doesn’t see the point in dwelling on the past or amends he ran out of time to make.

Hours, or maybe just minutes, after leaving Claude’s company, he realizes he’s near the medical bay. The corridor is relatively quiet, crewmates moving to and from their tasks, paying no mind to Felix, staring at the door as if trying to decide if it’s real or just a mirage.

He reaches up to the keypad to type in the access code, and hesitates. He hasn’t been here since the transfer, after they got Ashe stabilized.

He curls his hands into fists, frustrated and disappointed in his cowardice. _‘Pathetic!’_ he berates himself. If their positions were reversed, if it was Felix alone in this room--well, he wouldn’t have been alone. Ashe would have been there, by his side, not leaving Felix alone for a second. Yet Felix has been afraid of this place, of seeing his partner like this, of seeing the culmination of his failures.

Ashe didn’t deserve that.

_“I don’t want you to have any regrets.”_

Felix typed in the access code and the door opened with a quiet _woosh_. He stomped past crewmates who looked up as he entered, though made no move to stop or question him. (Whether because of the “stay out of my way” look on Felix’s face or by orders of the captain, he didn’t know, nor care.)

At the back of the room was the only suite in use.

When he entered, he was surprised to see he was not alone.

“A.S.H.E.” Felix began, the door closing softly behind him leaving the room bathed in a soft blue glow. “What are you doing here?”

The hologram lifted his head to meet Felix’s eyes. “I overheard one of the crewmates mention one of the life computers in the medical bay was malfunctioning. I could not find a problem in a scan of the mainframe so I came to investigate.”

A.S.H.E. turned his gaze back to the bed and the human lying motionless there.

“Instead, I found a mystery much more confusing.” A.S.H.E. went to brush his hand over the human’s face, jumping back as his hand passed right through their flesh, leaving a ripple of violet in its wake. “Do you know, Felix Fraldarius? Why does this human… look like me?”

Felix hesitated, mind running a mile a minute. How do you explain to a hologram that it isn’t a computer generated being, but an actual human temporarily made artificial? “It’s… complicated.”

“There is little in the Federation world I cannot understand, Felix Fraldarius. Please explain it to me.”

Felix’s heart threatened to explode out of his chest. He took a breath, two breaths, and steeled himself.

“This human looks like you… because he _is_ you.”

The hologram turned its eyes back to Felix, face emotionless, yet still radiating confusion in the dim light.

“You’re not artificial, A.S.H.E.” he continued. “You’re human. A human who was badly injured by our enemies.”

A.S.H.E. stared at the body--his body--on the bed.

“I… I do not understand.” A.S.H.E. said with an inflection that sounded like sadness or hurt. How Felix longed to take his hand, hold him tightly to his chest, tell him everything would be alright, that this was all just a bad dream.

“We stowed away on an Empire ship to plant a virus in their software, something that could help us gain the upperhand in this damn war. We succeeded, but enemy soldiers threatened to capture us, so we ran. We were almost at the escape pod when…”

Felix couldn’t bring himself to finish, but A.S.H.E. seemed to understand.

“We got off the Sariel and back here. The medical team tried to get you stabilized, but it wasn’t enough. I tried--I did the best I could.” He paused, acknowledging his failure, his mistakes, his regret. 

Felix continued with a whisper, voice barely audible over the beeping machines. “You would have died, Ashe. You… you still might die.” Felix had never spoken the possibility aloud. Others had, like Claude a short time ago, but Felix never wanted to acknowledge the fact. Now that it was out in the open, his eyes began to water, all of his held emotions bubbling to the surface.

“Humans die all the time.” A.S.H.E. stated. “You will die someday; I… would have.... died…Yet you wanted to stop me from dying. Why did you not want me to die, Felix?”

“You’re all I have left, Ashe. This war has taken everything from me - my home, my family…” Felix hiccupped, tears streaming down his face like water from a broken dam. “I couldn’t let it take you too. I love you.”

A.S.H.E.’s eyes went wide. “You… love?”

Felix nodded. “I love you so much that I would give anything to save you. The thing I regret the most, is that I hadn’t told you yet. Goddess. You’ve been so patient, not pushing me, letting me figure this, figure us, out. And I couldn’t tell you how I really felt about you.”

Felix stepped up to the other side of bed and took Ashe’s hand. It was cold. He squeezed, pouring into it all the things left unsaid, hoping that somehow, Ashe would know his feelings. “They can heal you in Fhirdiad, I know they can. Hold on for me. Just a little longer. Please.”

Out of the corner of his eye, there was a flash of violet. Felix turned sharply to see that A.S.H.E. had once again glitched and vanished.

“Damn it!” he shouted, gritting his teeth in frustration, as a message came over the communication system.

“Now approaching Fhirdiad Station. All hands prepare for docking sequence. Now approaching Fhirdiad Station. All hands prepare for docking sequence.”

Fhirdiad Station.

Docking sequence.

They made it.

»»————- ————-««

Felix sprinted back to the bridge. When he arrived, Claude was finishing a conversation with Dimitri on the communications monitor.

“Yes, of course. I will have Manuela and her team meet you in the hangar as soon as you’ve docked.”

“Thanks Dima. See you on the ground.” At Dimitri’s nod, the connection terminated.

_We actually made it._

“Almost.”

Felix, unaware he’d actually spoken aloud, jumped at Claude’s voice.

The captain smiled at him. “Won’t be long now, Felix. Whatda’ya say we land this beast?”

With renewed determination, Felix nodded and took his place at the flight panel next to Sylvain. With shaking hands, he put on his headset and began his pre-landing checks, getting lost in the familiarity of piloting.

“Hey, Fe?”

Felix paused his checks and looked to his co-pilot. 

“I’m sorry about what I said the other day. Asking if you were sure. I didn’t mean it like that.”

Felix sighed. “I know. And… I’m sorry too. You were just trying to help.”

Sylvain smiled soft and genuine. Neither was fully forgiven, but it was a start. Sylvain put his hand over Felix’s, a gesture of support and comfort. “He’s strong Felix. He’ll survive this.”

Felix nodded and gave his friend a half-smile in return. “Let’s do this.”

With pre-landing checks complete, Felix took control of shipdrive, waiting for the all clear to bring the ship into orbit around Fhirdiad Station.

In his own headset, Sylvain spoke with an officer’s authority. “Fhirdiad Station, this is Alliance ship Begalta, clearance code Alpha-three-zero-one-two, requesting permission to enter orbit and begin docking sequence, over.”

The response was swift. “Roger, Begalta, you are cleared for orbit and docking in section Delta-three-zero, over.”

“Copy that Fhirdiad. Initiating docking sequence, over.”

Ignoring the rest of the bridge, Felix engaged shipdrive and began their descent into Fhirdiad’s orbit.

_Hang on Ashe. Just a bit longer._

»»————- ————-««

No sooner had the thrusters shut down and the Begalta was safely parked in the hangar bay, Felix ran from his station to be the first at the gangway to meet and brief the medical team. When he arrived, panting and lungs burning, A.S.H.E. was there as well, waiting to greet any who would be waiting for them.

“Are you well, Felix Fraldarius?” the hologram asked through a ripple of violet light.

Felix froze. _No. Not now! We’re so close!_

Footsteps echoed on the gangplank as Dimitri boarded the ship, relief evident on his face.

“Felix! Ashe! Thank the Goddess!”

“Greetings Your Highness, Dimirti Alexandre Blaiddyd.” A.S.H.E. said, unaware of the familiarity in which Dimitri had addressed it. “I am A.S.H.E., Artificial Support Human Emulation for Felix Fraldarius.”

Dimitri considered the hologram, confusion on his face giving way to realization, then to concern. He turned to the hacker. “What is the meaning of this, Felix? What happened out there?”

Felix spoke with the utmost urgency. “I don’t have enough time to explain, Dimitri. Where’s Manuela?”

“She’s on her way. What’s going on?”

Out of his peripheral vision, Felix saw a blinding flash of violet. Turning, he saw A.S.H.E. disappear momentarily, then reappear.

“Greetings Your Highness, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd.” speaking the greeting it had already given. Before it could finish, there was another flash of violet, and the hologram disappeared, and reappeared, speaking again, scratching and stuttering. It was like A.S.H.E. was grasping for hold in reality and couldn’t find purchase. In another violet flash, A.S.H.E. disappeared… And did not reappear.

“No!” Felix yelled, sprinting back into the ship. Dimitri called after him, but Felix did not turn back, focusing only on returning to his partner.

Their time had run out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At the risk of being annoying and overly redundant, please, **PLEASE** don't hesitate to tell me if I mis-tagged or omitted something that should be tagged in this work! I have no problem editing tags and warnings so readers have the safest experience.
> 
> Thanks again for clicking, friends! I hope you enjoyed! Let me know your thoughts below or on Twit, @amirah_leigh. (You can RT this fic thingy from [here](https://twitter.com/amirah_leigh/status/1319004207568093185?s=20) if you like!)
> 
> Be sure to check out the Ashelix Week collection and all the other amazing works this week!


	2. Scar Tissue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashe wakes up in an unfamiliar place. What happened on the Sariel? Was the mission a success? Why does Felix look like a man with a secret?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought about making this a separate piece, but I think you really need to read chapter one first, so here we are. I hope you've enjoyed this little duology-fic-thingy! This chapter is much shorter than the last one, but I hope you enjoy it just as much.
> 
> More love to OAKtoONT who read chapter one and said, "OOH NOOO! Is that really the end???" xD No worries friends! I have a resolution! Thanks again Oak for your valuable feedback!
> 
> Tag Clarifications  
> *Hospital/Medial Setting - Self-explanatory. This chapter takes place in a hospital-type room.  
> *Memory Loss/Amnesia - One of our main characters doesn't remember the events of chapter one.

Ashe blinks awake slowly from a dreamless rest to bright light and the sounds of... computers? Machines?

 _Where am I?_

He thinks back on the previous day, trying to recall the details of the mission. He had been shot in the tech core of the Sariel. 

_Am I in a hospital? Maybe the wound was worse than I thought…_

Maybe… but they had escaped… He and Felix had run through the corridors, alarms and warnings echoing throughout the ship. They had made it to the hanger bay, an escape pod just up ahead…

Ashe groaned and shut his eyes against the pain suddenly blooming in his head. Something wasn’t right. A grazing wound from a blaster wouldn’t have him feeling like this. But he couldn’t remember anything more.

A door on the right side of his room opened with quiet _woosh_ and a medical officer entered.

“Ashe, you’re awake.” Dedue’s deep voice was a comfort in the unfamiliarity. Ashe opened his eyes and flashed an unsteady smile to his friend. “How do you feel?” Dedue asks as he moves around the bed, reading the machines and tapping notes and vital signs into his palmpad.

Ashe tests how his body feels, tries to move his head, flex his fingers. He’s stiff and in pain, mostly on his upper body where most of the bandages are, and has a massive headache. When he speaks, his throat is dry, scratchy, and weak. Dedue grabs a cup of water from a nearby faucet and helps him drink before Ashe tries speaking again.

“I feel like I’ve been run over by a star cruiser.” he replied with an attempt at a chuckle that turns into a string of coughs. 

Dedue smiles at him nonetheless. “That may actually be less painful than what you went through.”

“Are we at Fhirdiad Station? Did we succeed?”

Dedue nodded, still taking notes. “Yes, though you sustained significant injury during the mission. Can you remember anything?”

Ashe closed his eyes, trying again to recall the details. “I remember boarding the Sariel… their computer core, Felix planting the virus…” he gasped. “Felix!” Ashe moved sharply to a sitting position, wincing and hissing in pain. Dedue rushed to his side and eased him back down on the bed, softly admonishing him for moving so suddenly. “Where’s Felix? Is he alright?”

“Felix is fine, I promise you.” Dedue answered. “I’m surprised he’s not here yet, though I imagine he’ll rush in any moment to see you. What else can you remember?”

“I remember getting shot in the core. I remember running. Felix and I were running for the hanger bay, a small escape pod…” he trailed off, eyelids growing heavy. Dedue must have given him some more pain medication. “That’s it.”

Dedue nodded. “Very good Ashe. Get some more rest, recover your strength.”

“But… Felix…”

“He’ll be here when next you wake.”

And Ashe fell back into a dreamless sleep.

»»————- ————-««

Ashe wakes to a darkened room, the only light coming from the safety strips on the perimeter of the floor and the machines around him. He moved to stretch, still feeling stiff and bruised all over, though the pain medication was definitely taking the edge off. As his eyes adjusted to the soft glow of the room, he noticed a figure sitting in a chair at his bedside. Even in the darkness, bent over, head turned away from Ashe and resting on the mattress, he recognized Felix.

He smiled fondly at his partner, relieved at his even breaths as he slept and lack of obvious injury.

Moving slowly, Ashe was able to lift his arm to bring his hand to Felix’s head, softly petting him and carding his fingers through the hair that had escaped his ponytail. He heard more than saw Felix take a deep breath and lean into the touch, slowly starting to wake.

“Sorry for waking you, Felix. Go back to sleep.”

Felix shook his head, mussing the bed sheets, and turned to look at Ashe. His amber eyes, rimmed red and slightly puffy, reflected the soft glow of the room and showed a litany of emotions: Relief. Sadness. Amazement. Regret. They all passed in the sea of Felix’s gaze.

Before Ashe could say anything else, Felix stood and draped himself over Ashe in an awkward embrace. “You came back to me.” he whispered, and Ashe felt the moist coolness of Felix’s tears on his cheeks.

Ashe returned the embrace as best he could. “Did I go somewhere?” he asked, mind still cloudy on the details of the mission.

Felix pulled away and sat back into the chair, grasping Ashe’s hand and holding on as though Ashe might float away. “Don’t you… never mind. We can talk about it later. How do you feel?”

“A lot better now that you’re here.”

“Ashe…”

Ashe squeezed Felix’s hand reassuringly. “I’m being serious Felix. I mean, I’m sore, I feel weak.”

“Are you in a lot of pain? I can have a nurse bring you some more medication.”

Ashe shook his head. “No, it’s not too bad right now. I want you to stay here with me.”

Felix nodded. “Of course. I’m not going anywhere.”

They sat in silence for a while, taking comfort in each other’s presence, though Ashe could tell something was on his partner’s mind.

“Felix?” Ashe prompted, concerned for the other man. “What’s wrong?

The hacker shook his head. “Nothing. It’s just… I…” He took a breath and looked into Ashe’s eyes. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

Felix was so serious, more so than usual, and Ashe’s thoughts fell into a tailspin. Did he want to break up? Has the tide of the war shifted against them? Is one of their friends…

Ignoring the pain, Ashe sat up with a grunt, Felix reaching out to steady him.

“Ashe, you shouldn’t move like that!” Felix reprimanded. “You’ll pop a stitch or something!”

“I--” he winced and hissed out a breath “-- don’t care. Need to-- be closer to you.”

Felix moved to sit on the edge of the bed, holding Ashe close to him and gently rubbing circles on his back. Their position was a bit awkward, but just being this close to Felix calmed him. Felix had always been a steady, grounding presence for Ashe, even now with his mind running through all kinds of scenarios, he felt himself relaxing into Felix’s touch.

A few moments passed, the two just sharing in each other’s closeness, before Felix spoke.

“When we were at the academy, you told me stories of knights and chivalry and honor. Fighting for what’s right even if you’re fighting alone. You spoke of love so openly and freely… you give love so openly and freely. For some reason, you choose to give it to me and I have never felt so unworthy.”

“Felix, you’re not--”

“Wait. Let me finish.” Felix sighed and Ashe felt his heart sink. “You help bring out the best in me even on my worst days. And I haven’t been the same to you. I can be callus and standoffish, I hide my emotions so no one sees my weakness.” Felix pulled away, his hands falling into his lap as he turned his face toward the door. “I don’t deserve you, Ashe. I don’t know if I ever will.”

The silence stretched between them, broken only by the sounds of the equipment in the room. Ashe felt tears begin to roll down his face.

“Are… are you breaking up with me?” his voice barely more than a whisper.

Felix whipped his head back to Ashe looking like he’d seen a ghost. “What?! No! That’s not where I was going with this. Fuck!” The hacker rubbed his eyes in frustration. “What I meant to say was, that I don’t deserve you, but I’ve realized that I need to do what I can to become worthy of you. I’m sorry it took me so long to realize, to vocalize…”

He paused, taking Ashe’s face in his hands and wiping away the tears. “I love you, Ashe.”

Ashe let out a breathy gasp. It’s not that he ever doubted that Felix loved him, but he’d never said it before. Felix was the type to show his love with small actions rather than words; a brush of their hands as they walked through the ship’s corridors, starting dinner while Ashe showered after training, just sitting and existing quietly together in the same space.

“I love you so much that just thinking of life without you breaks my core.” Felix continued, taking Ashe’s hand in his and squeezing gently. “I’m sorry that it took this mission and everything that’s happened to get my ass in gear and tell you exactly what you mean to me.”

Ashe leaned forward touching his forehead to his partner’s. “I love you too, Felix. And I’ve never questioned your love for me.”

“I know. I just… I needed to say it, now that you can hear it.”

Ashe pulled back to look into his partner’s eyes. “What does that mean?” he asked, confused and scared. This was the second time Felix had spoken like he was on borrowed time. “Felix, what happened to me? To us?” Ashe winced, and brought his hand to his forehead, trying in vain to relieve the pressure building behind his eyes.

“Pain?”

Ashe nodded. “A headache.”

Felix helped him lie back on the mattress and tucked him in. “I’ll go get a nurse. Be right back.”

As Felix turned to leave, Ashe grabbed his wrist. Felix stopped and turned back to him. “Then will you tell me what happened? On the Sariel?”

Felix nodded, though Ashe could see he was hesitant. “I’ll tell you everything, I promise.” Felix leaned down to place a kiss on the back of Ashe’s hand. “Rest now. I’ll be right back.”

Ashe nodded. “I love you, Felix.”

Felix smiled softly. “I love you too, Ashe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and leaving your kudos, comments, and support! I hope this was a satisfying and happy ending! Let me know your thoughts below or on Twit, @amirah_leigh. (You can RT this fic thingy from [here](https://twitter.com/amirah_leigh/status/1319004207568093185?s=20) if you'd like! (Links to chapter 1)
> 
> As with chapter one, if I mis-tagged/omitted something that should be tagged in this work, please don't hesitate to let me know!
> 
> Be sure to check out the Ashelix Week collection and all the other amazing works this week!


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